Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services
U.S. Department of Justice

For Immediate Release  Wednesday, September 13, 2000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES FUNDING OF TRIBAL PROGRAMS
WITH FOCUS ON COMMUNITY SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH

Announcement Kicks Off $3 Million Initiative for Native American
Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice's Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced the awarding of $237,332 for
its Mental Health and Community Safety Initiative grants. These grants are the first
increment of nearly a $3 million federal partnership to provide tribes with programs and
innovative strategies designed to help meet mental health, behavioral, substance abuse,
and safety needs of Native American communities.

"An alliance to address the needs of American Indians
and Native Children was forged last year at the White House Conference of Mental
Health," said Attorney General Janet Reno. "The resulting initiative is designed
to provide tribes with assistance in developing innovative strategies that focus on the
mental health, behavioral, substance abuse, and community safety needs of young people and
their families."

Today's announcement of the six grants occurred under a
coordinated federal initiative-with Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Interior as participants. Programs funded include a range of youth support
services in communities and within the schools to implement drug and violence prevention,
and to direct appropriate mental health care.

"COPS is proud to provide additional support to the
Tribal Community, " said Thomas Frazier, Director of the COPS Office. "This
funding is critical to the continued development of the law enforcement infrastructure in
Native American communities."

This initiative provides for an anticipated award of
$237,332 and will be used to improve public safety with a focus on youth in six
communities: Eagle Village Council in Alaska, the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan,
the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the Elko Band Council in Nevada, the Miami Tribe of
Oklahoma in Oklahoma, and the Nisqually Indian Tribe in Washington State. The Department
of Education has provided $50,000 of this total to implement drug and violence prevention
programming in the community or school setting.

Additional funding for this historic initiative is expected
over the next several weeks. The Indian Health Service is expected to fund $1.3 million,
the Department of Health and Human Services $450,000, and the Department of Justice Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention $1 million towards the initiative.
Together, these awards under the Mental Health and Community Safety Initiative total more
than $2.68 million in funding to develop innovative strategies that will meet the mental
health and community safety needs of American Indian and Alaska native children, youth,
and families.